Sep 17, 2018 - About the only way to make flight simulators better is to make them free flight simulators. We found two great ones for you to try.
I bought this since I've always had an interest in flying/planes, and I wanted a detailed simulation of real life piloting. First off, before you buy this, just download the demo at xplane.com. That will serve better than any review.
Pros: After playing through the demo, I felt this was a good sim (and also fun!), so I bought the global pack. This is a very detailed simulation- not only are flight physics replicated, but practically every last component is simulated in detail, and works just as it would in real life, just as radios/instruments, navigation aides, and even the impact of fuel on center of gravity/weight etc. Most default aircraft feature detailed 3-d cockpits, and every last knob/switch is simulated. Also, damage due to overspeed / over-G, and random component failures are simulated (and can be turned on/off). There are a lot of inaccurate reviews out there just FYI- alot of. Nice stand and a good product for the price.
Sturdy, the rubber rings on the 2 horizontal feet work great on my hard wood floors. Little to no sliding. The unit came with the back horizontal leg on up-side-down so the Allen nuts scratched my floor. I gave this a 4 because no real effort was made on packaging and assembly instructions. They point you to a video where you watch a person assemble the unit with now sound. My issue was that the screws were not clearly identified.
It took me to weeks to realize I had the throttle screws mounting my yoke, so I could not mount my throttle quadrant. The screws should have come in 3 different packages with a small label in each set. One for mounting the crossbars that hold the ruder, one for the bars that attach the cross bars onto the yoke stand. Due to a slow DSL system I bought the DVD version on.
It contains Nine ( 9 ) disks. I put this version on an older computer while waiting for a new PC. I had to turn the settings way down to keep the frame rate from freezing up. The scenery is bad with no reference to any known landscape or buildings in an area. On the plus side of X-Plane11, the aircraft are very easy to fly and they handle well, much better than FXW aircraft. Yes I have the Steam FXW version also.
This is why I gave it a 4 star rating. A better computer will make this program a five star product. X-Plane11 has a FAA approved version also.
Stu After I loaded X-Plane 11 in a new computer, the program came alive. Outstanding flight simulator. Highly recommend X-Plane. Flight Unlimited takes place in two airports somewhere in Vermont and somewhere in France. Your job in this game is to successfully test and fly these airplanes without crashing and safely landing them.
The graphics should improve though. The water and land just looks like big pixels.
If you are doing a flight simulator with no practice and trying for the real thing, you have a radar of the commander to aid you on your quest to successfully fly and land airplanes. You should get this game if you are big fan of planes. Flying and landing may sound boring, but just think how difficult it is to get over the mountains. What a different flight experience. Cool crash sounds for the occasional muffed landing,or hitting a mountain top while in clouds.
Even with a lot of hours on its competitor I found this one a challenge to getting air born without getting a bill for a dozen taxi lights. The scenery seemed to be more complex than X but not to many actual real landmarks. I am really pleased with this and all the add-on's available on the net. This is a great sim for those interested in flying.
With several hours of real time flying in several aircraft I found this the closest to real I can get. My system: It ain't the latest-greatest 'Duo' or 'Quad' super fast hell on wheels box. In fact it's a Dell Optiplex GX270, 3.0Ghz Hyperthreaded P4.
RAM is 2GB, video is ATI Radeon 9550 (Dual capable) w 256Mb DDR. Sound is Creative Audigy4, MS Sidewinder Precision Pro flight stick (USB driven) I just received my copy of FSX-Deluxe + Accelerator Pack. They installed flawlessly in under 30 minutes, total. Just got through 'test flying' it. I just selected 'free flight', Cessna 172, and I selected my local small air field, which should be located just to the east of Nashville, TN. Cornelia Fort air park. Got flying, quickly located Berry International just where it should be.
Went looking for Nashville's skyline - hmmm, kind of generic looking. I'm not picky about that type of detail anyway. That said, the graphics and dynamic graphic details were none the less. Using for elite dangerous, the feel is great. As for the pinky switch problem; its fixable! With the software -update latest driver- 1. Just go to the profile editor (right click on system tray icon) 2.
Delete all default profiles 3. Create a new profile 4. Set the pinkie switch to unprogrammed 5.
Go to the saitek control pannel (right click on system tray icon), on the MDF tab / uncheck (enable clutch mode) 6. Go to the system tray icon, right click and select your profile, icon should be highlighted in green. All keys should be bindable. For aviation enthusiasts, FSX is a blast. Steam, not so much. A big part of your FSX experience will be depend on your pc and gpu performance as well as your control set-up.
That said, FSX can offer a fun and educational simulated flying experience. I am a pilot and have been using MS flight software from the first edition. My negative opinion on the Steam edition had to with download and configuration issues. The problems were resolved, but the support is very limited and you have to track down answers on your own. It was a frustrating experience and am still not thrilled that it is dependent on this platform. Other than that, love the software.
A Drone Flight Simulator or a drone game is a great choice when you’re considering investing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in a new UAV quadcopter. Multirotor drones can be very expensive and it’s smart to get some practice using a much less expensive method, a UAV simulator, before unpacking your new drone. Quadcopter Simulator Table of Contents. #1 Choice:%10 Off For Dronethusiast Users. There are various options out there including a drone flight simulator for PC and Mac, as well as FPV flight simulators.
I’m going to be going over each of the different simulation packages and trying to give you the best overall analysis of each so that you can decide which one is for you. And if you’re looking for something a little more fun and a little less serious, we’ve also included our top three drone games for sale. Quadcopter Simulators Analysis Some of the links on this page are affiliate links that will help support Dronethusiast if you end up making any purchases through them. 1.Simpro Drone Flight Simulator Get 10% off as a Dronethusiast Reader, the discount will show up in the shopping cart! Dronesimpro has just announced that they are now offering the availability of customized solutions to create specific scenarios and drones for their drone flight simulator. The ability to create an environment specific to a pilot’s needs could be a game changer it allows great customization for training drone pilots in both their environment and the type of drone used for the training. “With drone pilots finding new and innovative ways to use drones, there is an increased need for a tailored training, says Jessica Warburton, cofounder of droneSim Pro.
“With our modular software we are able to create any scenario according to a drone pilot’s training requirements, whether it’s to recreate a movie scene, an outdoor wedding, a tower inspection, a structure fire or even a hostage situation.” For more information click. DroneSim Pro is a new drone flight simulator that can be used on both a PC or Mac. It also uses a custom built flight engine that replicates the real world physics of drone flight. This allows us to put a drone anywhere in the world and have it fly accurately.
This includes any altitude. The current version, which is the initial launch version, includes the Phantom 2 and 3 flight areas. The next two releases include a lot of major additions including new drones and flight areas, as well as the support of remote controllers.
These will be coming out over the next 4 months. DroneSim Pro Features Include.
Realistic Lighting Conditions. Accurate Physics and Flight Models. Realistic Game and Sim Scenarios. Obstacle Courses, House Fires, Open Field Flight A demo can be downloaded from.
The software supports most USB controllers and has been tested to work with Xbox and Playstation controllers. New support for various drone specific controllers will be rolling out in the next few months.
This simulation software looks like a great up and comer in the market and is priced reasonably at $29.99. That’s why we’re listing it at number 2, in a market that’s filled with drone sims in the $100.00 range, this price range is a great middle ground where you can try it out without going broke! RealFlight Drone Flight Simulator – With Controller This drone flight sim is the most detailed and powerful simulator on the market. However, the first thing you’re going to notice is that you have to pay for this kind of quality.
The Realflight drone sim sells for $109.99, it comes with the Interlink Elite Controller, so you don’t have any batteries or complicated setups needed. The $109.99 price may seem like a lot but with the controller and software it is the best deal out there for serious drone flight practice. Each software function is operated by the controller so there’s no keyboard needed, which means more simplicity.
This software allows you to do everything you could possibly want to in a quad simulator. Learn camera skills. Maneuvering skills.
Explore FPV flight. Fly Phantom models and many others. Master camera gimbal operation. Practice in various conditions, day, night, and different windspeed and direction. In game challenges that keep the simulation fun while learning. The single limitation I can find to the realflight software is that it is not mac compatible. Those of you using apple computer products are going to have to go with a different option.
If you’re serious about practicing for drone flight, this is the #1 piece of drone flight simulator for pc we can recommend. However the price is going to turn a lot of you away, we understand that. Realflight includes a great product feature, the rewind button. This allows you to back the simulation up and redo the instance anytime you have a crash or miss a photo, allowing for real time instant correction of whatever your error may have been. Check out this video of the Realflight Drone Flight Simulator.
Aerofly RC7 Quad Simulator With the Aerofly RC7 quad simulator you’re going to notice that it is fairly realistic for a simulator. The physics seem to be very similar to that of when I’m flying my actual quadcopter. However once again you have to spend some money to get this kind of real practice.
The standard version starts at $49.00 and goes up to $139.00. It comes with or without a controller, so you can use your existing controller if you have the right connection kit. Fly over 130 models with Aerfoly RC7 Ultimate. Use their controller or your own, best customization. Fly Phantom and Other Quad and Hexacopters.
Mac and Apple Versions – YES. Fly in rate mode, adjust FPV cameral tilt angel, Fish eye effect. Great for practicing Flying FPV Racing. This drone flight simulator gives you a bit more customization and a better example of practicing FPV flying, therefore if that’s what you’re looking for this may be for you. Also it comes for mac and pc, just check out the options through the link above, or click either of the images here. How to setup the aerofly rc7 with your own transmitter. Shop for the These two are the top flight on the market at the moment.
They are for serious flyers looking to seriously practice. There are some other apps available at much cheaper prices but when you lower the price significantly, you’re going to see a serious loss of reality when it comes to the drone flight simulator. Liftoff by Immersion RC is new software by Immersion RC, you can check it out, it’s not your standard flight simulator. It’s geared specifically towards those looking for fpv racing practice. Benefits of this type of drone flight simulator are: If you’re here for fpv drone racing check out our post here, a guide to the best components on the market for fpv drone setups.
Practice for drone racing on software built specifically for drone racers. Integrates well with fpv goggle systems. Cheap at $19.99 on Steam – pre release. PC and Mac Verisions Available. Very pretty and well designed, but specifically only useful for drone racing. This software is fun and inexpensive.
However it isn’t useful for photo taking or video practice. It has one very specific quadcopter simulator function and that is to help you learn to fly your drone from the first person view. It goes well with fpv goggles and is easy to purchase from steam, easy to install and easy to setup and use with your current fpv system, that’s why we’re naming it the best fpv uav simulator out there! Heli X UAV Flight Simulator Heli-X is a great R/C helicopter flight sim that also has the ability to allow you to fly drone flight simulations.
They use the great real-time physics based on modern mathematical science. The software is available for Mac, Linux and Windows so it is a great all around piece of flight simulation software. There are training scenarios within the software that make it fun to use for learning or entertainment.
Some benefits of this software include. Cost: It is a little cheaper than the first two options at 49.00 Euros, about $55.00 at the current time. They have training scenarios for rescue situations. Some other scenarios include cage, lasso, autorotation, reaction training, hover training, etc. Heli-X is a solid, educational drone flight simulator that won’t break the bank. So that you can use Heli-X software you will need to use that you can find there.
You can boot HELI-X without a controller, but cannot control the models inside the software. FPV Freerider App The is a new and popular simulation app that can help you practice fpv and line of sight drone flight. It is limited by it’s app status, as it doesn’t have as powerful of a physics simulator engine.
It also doesn’t come with a controller and you will need to find a USB controller to use with it. You can find with this software you just have to make sure it is a USB compatible controller. Benefits of FPV freerider are. Extremely low cost, $5.00. Fun for FPV racing practice. Works with almost any usb remote, just pick one up and connect it to the app.
Drawbacks are that the software isn’t as real and you cannot practice your camera work. If you’re looking for something to help you with your aerial photography business or are seriously practicing to use a phantom or some other expensive new drone, this may not be for you. Best Drone Games For Sale Drone Simulators are great for testing out your skills without endangering your vehicle. But what if you’re just looking for something fun to pass the time away?
There are lots of great new drone games available for sale in 2018, and here’s three of our very favorites. These drone games are concerned with fun over realism.
Drone Shadow Strike – for iOS and Android Drone Shadow Strike (available for Android and for iOS on the App Store) lets you choose beetween eight different military UAVs to blow up your enemies with missiles, rockets, cannons and even nuclear bombs. The graphics run smoothly even on older phones and the game itself is completely free, so if you’re looking for a fun phone drone game you should consider giving this one a look! The features of this drone game include. Eight different types of combat drones. Over 282 Challenges and 70 Achievements.
34 missions in 5 real world inspired campaigns. Works on Samsung S6 and better. Simple touch controls so anyone can play 2.
Liftoff – for Windows PC (via Steam) is a drone game that can be purchased from the “Steam” online store. It was created by ImmersionRC, makers of some of the best racing quadcopters around, who hope that translating the experience of FPV racing to a videogame will help introduce more people to the sport. If you’re looking for something with a more realistic bent than most drone games and for what critics have called “unadulterated fun,” we highly recommend Liftoff! The features of this drone game include. Gateway to the quadcopter racing scene. Support for VR and FPV goggles.
Realistic drone physics. Fast and fun!. Reasonably priced at $19.99 USD 3. Arena – for Windows PC (via Steam) is a drone game for Windows that can be purchased from the “Steam” online store. It’s a bit like a multiplayer shooter, but with drones – complete with classic FPS game modes like Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, and more. You can customize your in-game drone in great detail and even fly in virtual reality, so this drone game is ideal if you’re looking for some upscale flying combat on PC. The features of this drone game include.
Customize your own in-game drone. Multiple shooter-inspired game modes.
Support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets. Exotic arenas. Very cheaply priced at $2.99 USD Drone Simulator And Drone Games FAQ What is a drone simulator? A drone flight simulator is a computer program that lets you mimic the action of flying a real drone without having to get any physical hardware involved. They are a good way to get better at flying drones without risking the possibility of breaking an expensive aircraft. What is a drone game? A drone game is a computer program that makes a game out of flying drones in some way.
Unlike a drone simulator, drone games are not concerned with being a realistic approximation of flying a real drone – they’re just for fun! Are there drone simulators for Windows?
Drone simulators and drone games are available on a number of devices, and yes – Windows PCs are often among them. Our #1 drone simulator choice, the DroneSim Pro Flight, is a particularly good option if you’re looking for a drone simulator for Windows. What are the benefits of a drone flight simulator? This may not be exactly as useful as drone flight school, but you can get extensive training from these quadcopter simulators in all areas of multirotor flight.
Some of the benefits you will accrue by spending some time using a quad flight simulator are:. Refine Your quadcopter Flying Skills. Learn To Capture Perfect Still Images. Perfect Your Drone Video Taking Skills. Practice Aerial Quadcopter Maneuvers.
FPV Flight Training, Learn To Race in First Person View!. Pickup New Camera Gimbal Control Tactics.
Learn Without Risking Loss or Damage to Your Expensive Drone! Learning all of these skills without spending money for repairs and replacement parts on your is priceless. What types of drone flight simulator are there? In order to decide which quad simulator is best for your purposes you should decide exactly what it is you’re trying to get out of the software.
Ask yourself a few questions, and make sure whichever quadcopter simulator you decide to purchase covers all the topics you need it to. Will you use the simulator on PC or Mac?.
Are you practicing for FPV drone flight or Line of Sight, or both?. Are you trying to practice drone camera skills?. Do you need to practice your UAV video taking ability?. Do you want to practice RC helicopters and fixed wing aircraft as well?. Are you just looking for a drone flight simulator for entertainment?.
Is this for commercial or recreational use? If you have a well defined reason for purchasing drone flight simulator software it will make it quite simple to pick out the best product on the market. Are Quadcopter Flight Simulators Useful? The best drone flight simulator software can help you practice aerial photography, fpv racing, video taking, and allows you to practice on many different models. Realflight flight simulator listed at the #1 position allows you to do all these things and more. If you’re willing to shell out the $109.99 that it takes to purchase it along with it’s dedicated controller.
There are other options available for quadcopter simulators but you’re going to play a balancing act between what functions you’re looking for and what price you want to pay. For those of you really looking for practice I suggest the Realflight software.
This is best for those working on their flight skills for larger drones. It can be especially useful if you live somewhere in a climate where it’s not feasible to fly your drone over the winter, you can spend some time with the simulator to ease the withdrawal symptoms you’re feeling! I know that’s what I use it for living in Nebraska! Drone flight simulators when used properly are a great way to work on your muscle memory and hand eye coordination.
They are especially great for beginners, but can be useful for intermediate flyers, especially those looking to practice their video and photography skills. Conclusion Flying drones is a fantastic way to build a business, or have a great time. Don’t limit yourself to only flying when the weather’s good. Fly all the time with a great drone flight simulator or drone game from the lists above! Do you use a drone flight simulator? Do you play drone games?
Let us know in the comments what you think of this new software for sale and if you have a favorite pick that we neglected to mention. The writer known as I Coleman is a veteran tech reviewer who’s spent seven years writing about everything from PC hardware to drone tech and who joined the Dronethusiast team early in 2017. I brings his characteristic sense of humor and attention to detail to our product reviews and buyer’s guides, making sure that they’re packed with expert analysis in a way that’s still easy for hobby newcomers to understand. In his spare time, I is using drones to create 3D modeling software for a company in his hometown. Hello, Thanks for all the great blog posts. I’m trying to get into FPV racing, and your articles have been very helpful. A quick questionI’m looking to get LiftOff to start learning how to fly.
One area I can’t find any detail on, is a recommendation for a controller that will work well with Mac, and be as close to real world as possible (without breaking the bank). I know an xbox controller can be used, but I hear it’s not helpful for emulating real flight experience. The alternative is that I dive in head first and get a proper fpv transmitter (like the Taraniswhich a lot of people seem to recommend) that I’ll be able to use with whatever fpv racing drone I eventually evolve to. I’ll be purchasing the Hubsan x4 to practice regardless.
Great review. Very thorough. I bought the RealFlight Drone and found the models to be great, but the lack of decent environments to fly it around very frustrating. On the full version you can import community race courses to practice with but lack the drones, and on the RealFlight Drone, it lacks the environment. The product is not complete as far as i am concerned. RealFlight needs to open up the import of the product so that all the cool new drones they have modelled can be flown in a realistic environment for drones, not empty fields and airports with nothing to test the ability of even a beginner drone pilot Thanks. Great review.
Based on your review and the fact that I use a Mac, I first attempted to use droneSim Pro (demo). Their website says that a PS3 controller has been tested as compatible but that a PS 4 controller should work. Since I couldn’t find a PS 3 controller (Amazon is ripe with counterfeits and who knows what I would get on eBay), I sprung for a PS 4 controller at a local retailer. I could get the PS 4 controller to work with several other simulators (free demos from the App store), but not droneSim Pro. I wrote to their support twice, but never heard back. In the meantime I did more research and found that even though RealFlight Drone won’t run in emulation software on a Mac, it will run in Bootcamp.
Since I was in the process of rebuilding my system, I configured Windows into Bootcamp (and can run the installation in Parallels when I need to). I confirmed with RealFlight that it will run in Bootcamp, who responded to my support request within an hour. Although I have yet to test it yet, I’m glad that I went this route since the cost of a PS 4 controller + droneSim Pro would have been not that far off from buying RealFlight, which includes a controller that gives me a more realistic experience. Add to that the options on droneSim Pro looked a little thin, their website looks a little v1.0 and apparently they lack the will to answer any support requests. Guess they’re taking a page out of the DJI playbook in that regard.
Thanks again for the review.